Moringa- The Miracle Plant!

 
 

Moringa, what the heck is it and why should it be part of my optimal health plan?

Moringa is a plant native to Africa and Asia and has been used in Ayurvedic Medicine for thousands of years. I first discovered this amazing plant when I was in Mexico a couple of years ago. In December 2019 I got unconfirmed covid-19 the morning of new years eve and was very unwell for over three weeks. Going into week 2 of feeling unwell, I felt so lethargic I couldn’t even walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. I had heart palpitations, I was craving crushed ice and red meat, I was hacking up mucous multiple times a day and I had a dry cough that kept me up at night. I had to do something because I really didn’t feel right and I was not in my comfort zone. At the time, covid was not a thing so I just assumed it was a bad cold. I needed to figure out what I could nourish myself with that was around my cute little beach neighbourhood. I kept seeing this green powder at a local health shop and everyone deemed as the “miracle plant” and yes, it was a miracle.

I started taking 2 doses every day of moringa powder and on the third day my energy started to come back and my mind became clearer. Once I started doing more research on this amazing plant I realized this was helping with my overall inflammation and lack of iron caused by what I felt was covid. It is now an essential part of my holistic toolbox and I consume it multiple times per week.

Please note, this is my own experience with moringa and covid, there are no scientific studies specifically on moringa helping with covid symptoms that I know of, but there are many studies showing the beneficial effects on inflammation, heart disease, immune health, Alzheimer’s and so much more.

The best part about this healing plant is that the whole plant can be used. The seeds are turned into nutrient dense oils for cooking and to moisturize your skin, the leaves get dried and turned into powder to be consumed in tea, smoothies or energy shots, the roots are boiled for various cooking uses and the fruit helps sterilize water. Moringa helps improve the health of millions of children living in developing countries due to its synergistic nutrient profile.

There are many varieties of the moringa plant but the most widely used and most studied variety is the (moringa oleifera). For the sake of time when I speak of the therapeutic benefits and doses I will be speaking mostly on the dried leaf powder form.

Nutritional Benefits of Moringa

High in Vitamin A
High in polyphenols
High in Vitamin C
High in iron
High in Vitamin A
High in calcium
High in antioxidants and polyphenols

It has all 9 essential amino acids and is almost a complete protein

Moringa has been shown to help with the following conditions

Reduces chronic inflammation
Alzheimer’s disease
Heart disease
Vision health
Malnourished population
Cancer
Digestive issues such as ulcers, candida overgrowth and fungal overgrowth

How to Consume and Where To Purchase

I recommend purchasing the organic powdered leaf form of this plant. It can be purchased on Amazon, The Light Cellar in Calgary, Mary’s Naturals in Nanaimo and Community Farm Store in Duncan.
For a therapeutic dose, I take 1 teaspoon in 2oz of fresh orange juice mixed with 2oz of water twice a day. Mix it up with a small whisk or hand milk frother and chug it back. For ongoing use I take 1 teaspoon in 2oz of fresh juice and 2oz of water 3 times a week

So maybe it’s time to consider adding this amazing plant to your lifestyle and see what it can do for you and your optimal health lifestyle.

References and Links
15 minute video on Moringa

Scientist Studies Moringa

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25374169/

Moringa and Alzheimer's Disease and Heart Disease

Dr.Axe-Moringa



4 week Perimenopause/Menopause Course, Are you ready to set yourself free?

To all of my optimal health ladies, this one is for you!!! I am so excited to launch my first of many optimal health courses. I am fed up of being told that what I am experiencing is just normal and to just deal with it. I hear so many women complain about symptoms occurring in their brain and body only to be told to take an antidepressant or to accept it. I refuse to allow this transition to increase my risk of Alzheimer’s and other chronic illnesses and I want to empower you along your journey.

I am currently experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and I want to share with you what I have learned. It is amazing what is actually happening in the brain while going through this second puberty of our lives and I want you to know exactly what is happening on a physical level. My role for this course will be to listen and support you while sharing all things on sleep, fasting, diet, stress and hacks to relieve symptoms.

I have the luxury of sharing this course with award winning author Stephanie Hrehirchuk, she will be the master of all things menopause, supporting and guiding you with intention setting, anxiety relief, the power of breath and gratitude.

 
 

Glutathione- Immune Health, lung Health and Alzheimer's Prevention

 
Christina and glutathione.jpeg
 

Glutathione, you can’t live without it!

Yes Master.


Glutathione is our master antioxidant created by OUR own body but sometimes we may need a little supplemental help. Glutathione helps build immune resiliance, fights oxidative stress, helps with detoxification in the liver and maintains optimal cellular function. Those are pretty big upstream functions that if not optimal, our bodies can not work optimally.

Almost all chronic illnesses have some form of oxidative stress to its root and glutathione is the KEY to reducing that damage.

Glutathione levels can be reduced in the body by many factors

  • Stress

  • Mold toxicity (mycotoxins)

  • Oxidative stress

  • Alcohol

  • Smoking

  • Heavy metal burden

  • Aging

  • Poor diet (especially high heat cooking and consuming refined vegetable oils)

I decided to write this article due to the importance of maintaining our immune health at this critical time and because of the abundance of wildfires this year in BC. Every summer in BC we seem to get a cluster of fires that fill the sky with smoke and overwork our amazing firemen and firewomen, and this year (2021) is no exception. In fact, it’s probably the worst year ever. The smoke from wildfires increases oxidative stress and lowers our immune function when we breathe it in. I wish that every firewoman and fireman would consider looking into supplementation of liposomal glutathione or NAC and see if it could be right for them. I always have bottles on hand for myself and my family if the fiery skies become thick with smoke. Remember, the dose makes the poison when it comes to environmental pollutants such as smoke and accumulation over the  years is what creates dis-ease in the body.

As for glutathione supplementation and Alzheimer’s disease and prevention, there have been many studies showing that one of the roots to Alzheimer’s disease is oxidative stress. As we age, glutathione reserves decrease and we become more susceptible to oxidative damage and can no longer repair the damage with our own natural glutathione, that is where considering supplemental glutathione could help. Please refer to links below for more information on Alzheimer’s and the important role of supplemental glutathione.

Glutathione (GSH) is used for many reasons

  • Toxin elimination

  • Cellular protection from stress and poor diet

  • Supports healthy inflammatory response

  • Supports mitochondria production

  • Strengthens immunity

  • Necessary for brain health

  • Alzheimer’s prevention

  • Endometriosis/ gut health

Glutathione’s reserves are mostly stored in our liver, so if our liver is not functioning properly our glutathione stores may be impacted. It’s like this; poor liver function = low GSH = sub-optimal cellular function = sub-optimal human = increased chance of dis-ease. Stressful daily life from poor air quality, forest fires, mind stress and physical stress can deplete our glutathione storages quickly.

It is recommended by most Functional Medicine Practitioners to use the liposomal form of glutathione in capsules or liquid (I like Chris Shades from Quick Silver or Pure Formulas) or you can choose to take NAC; a building block made up of specific amino acids that help support the natural production of glutathione.

NAC also has many other benefits

  • Aids in the production of glutathione

  • Helps remove excess estrogen

  • Strengthens  immune health

  • Helps with respiratory conditions such as COPD, asthma and bronchial inflammation 

  • It is a biofilm buster for mold and candida *

  • Prevents oxidative damage 

  • Inhibits replication of RNA viruses

  • Helps prevent the flu

  • Protects the lungs

  • Is  mucus thinner

* Biofilm from mold and candida is a protective barrier that enables the mold and candida to flourish in the body and keep us sub-optimal. NAC helps break down that biofilm in order to “Free up” the mold and candida and get removed from your body. It is important to sweat and keep our detoxification system optimal so that we can remove toxins from our body. I am adding this information in because if you do have underlying mold or candida when you start taking NAC you can possibly feel crappy because you are breaking down that biofilm. Please connect with your practitioner to help create an anti-fungal plan for you if you show positive mycotoxins from mold or an overgrowth of candida.

Please note that any supplement you are considering taking should be discussed with your health care practitioner. Supplements are powerful and I encourage you to do your own research on anything you are taking. Always check in after a certain amount of time with your health care provider to see if you still need to be taking a specific supplement. Please take responsibly optimal health seekers, always question!

As for glutathione some people have a hard time taking liposomal glutathione and NAC due to their specific health conditions such as, SIBO, histamine intolerance, high glutamate or for people that  cannot break down sulfur-containing compounds. It is recommended to start with a low dose and see if it gives you headaches and/or causes anxiety. If it does, you can always lower the dose or not take it at all. There are many other ways to support your body from oxidative stress such as sauna bathing, exercise, sleep and a healthy diet. Just by removing rancid seed/vegetable oils and alcohol from your diet you are reducing oxidative stress which helps keep your glutathione reserves for emergencies that are out of your control.

This is not a supplement I take all of the time, however I will go months taking it and then leaving it for a while. If I know my immune is low, I have much less energy or I am around a lot of environmental toxins such as smoke from wildfires, I will up my game and start taking NAC or Liposomal glutathione.

Links and Studies

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744393/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9230243/

​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XhldPhEcik

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24496077/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443911002262

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079069/


How to Improve Chronic Stress by changing our thoughts and stimulate our vagus nerve

E-motion - Energy in motion


Improving our body's ability to deal with chronic stress should be taught in school everywhere and in my opinion, at a young age. Usually when we think about things that bring on stress we think of a physical trauma or a death of a loved one or losing our job and so on. I wanted to touch base on a type of chronic stress that many people don’t really associate with when thinking about it and that is- How the power of our thoughts and beliefs can create fear and worry and therefore create chronic stress.

If you know me, I like to get to the deepest root as often as possible when it comes to balancing my body, so I am always looking upstream- looking beyond just treating the symptoms, I ask myself what are the systems/pathways within the body that are the roots to the imbalance? When it comes to stress awareness this is where learning how to change our thoughts and stimulate the vagus nerve can calm the nervous system and improve our relationship with future stress.

I’m sure many of you understand the basic concept of how chronic stress can affect the body and mind in a negative way, but did you know that chronic stress from fearful thoughts, ruminating and worrying can increase insulin, cortisol and fat deposits throughout the body? Did you know that the emotion of fear alone can program our brain and cause systemic inflammation, high cortisol and leaky gut?

Please continue  reading if you are interested in learning how to improve your vagal tone in order to balance the nervous system and learn how to become aware of how fear is but an emotion that induces a stressful physiological reaction that can be managed through changing our behaviour and programmed beliefs.

“The moment you begin to FEEL the way you think, you begin to think the way you feel”-  Dr. Joe Dispenza

When we are living in constant fear and stress our body tends to take over, our subconscious mind starts running the show and begins to program our mind and body to be in survival mode. It’s like, practice makes perfect, but this perfection comes with a negative impact instead of a positive one and keeps us in survival mode.

I like to explain survival mode as a necessary system that turns off all unnecessary systems within the body in order to use energy for only the most important survival needs. By shutting down most systems due to stress, our digestion is muted, our growth factors are muted, sex hormones are turned down, we increase cortisol, adrenaline, insulin, blood sugar and we become highly focused on the main issue at hand. 

This creates an ego rewarding loop that enables specific chemical compounds to be secreted and validates that stress and fear. This is why they say stress and fear are addictive, the body is looking to re-enforce the negative loop. Your body becomes programmed to reward itself when continuing that negative loop and when you start to break that loop, trust me, it (the ego) will fight back as hard as it can and tell you that you are wrong, don’t leave your comfort zone. But, I promise, the darkness is worth every penny because once you regain your true self, no one can manipulate your truth and doubt becomes far less of a daily ruminating thought.

What is Chronic stress?

It’s an addiction and an energy consumer to be blunt.

Amongst many antagonists, fearful thoughts and other emotions create chronic stress which then  activate our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight system). When this system is activated for a short period of time, it’s a good thing but when it has been conditioned to stay activated by ruminating thoughts, negative mindset, worry and fear, we start to run into some problems.

Stress is our body's response to anything that requires our attention. It usually shows up as some kind of symptom so that it can alert us to take care of ourselves, many of us just ignore these symptoms and then the stress bucket begins to overflow. When stress is induced brain chemicals get released and sent out to the body telling certain pathways to either shut down to conserve energy or be on alert and begin to try and rectify the situation. 

At some point we are all going to be under a certain amount of stress, the key is learning how to manage that stress and not allow it to become chronic. I was personally under a LOT of stress for about 5 years not long ago and it took a toll on me that I am still recovering from. I can no longer multi-task or take on as much as I used to, at times I wake up with a pounding heartbeat in the middle of my solar plexus and I cannot take a deep breath, that’s when I know I need to call my acupuncturist and get a handle on it before it gets worse. I have learned to slow down and listen to my symptoms and be aware of my thoughts. I distance myself from negative thinkers and those that judge my way of living.

I didn’t think I had much control over how I managed my stress and fearful thoughts until I read and studied the work of neuroscientist Dr.Joe Dispenza and the father of epigenetics Dr. Bruce Lipton. Everything changed for me when I heard Dr.Joe Dispenza say this-  “ According to neuroscience, your brain is a record of your environment. As long as you think equal to everything that is familiar to your environment  you will keep creating the same thing. To change, to truly change is to think greater than your environment. As soon as you start to believe in a future that has not actually happened yet, your body will start to align with your thoughts and before you know it, you have changed your program mind to a more positive and healthy thought process.” Your personality creates your personal reality, your personality is made up of how you think, how you act and how you feel. SO, if you want to create a new personal reality, one must change their current thoughts, beliefs and emotions that they have memorized and been taught and observed since a young age. Powerful shit right?

What is fear?

It’s an addiction. It is an energy consumer.
Fear is an emotion (energy in motion) that makes you feel like you do not have control. Fear is driven by the ego and loves to be as dramatic as possible. Fear creates lack of trust within one self and numbs the logical mind. Chronic fear activates the sympathetic nervous system, it increases inflammation, breaks down your immune system, it can cause dis-ease within your body and make you feel constant lack within your life. Fear can stop you from living your full potential, it can prevent you from living your true authentic self. The craziest part is that it is just an emotion and we can control it but we have never been taught to even be aware of how much we fear or how much our decisions are based upon fear.

vagus nerve.png

Nerve cells that fire together wire together

Dr.Joe Dispenza and Dr. Bruce Lipton both have remarkable research and studies on how our thoughts can create our reality and that with practice we can change our conditioned mind. I am not an expert in this field so that is why I highly recommend looking into these two amazing humans for further research and begin understanding how thoughts and conditioned minds are only but a program that we can change. I have suggested books below.

Vagus Nerve

Vagus in Latin means wandering, the vagus nerve begins in the brain and  wanders  throughout the body keeping tabs on what is truly going on inside and then reports back to the brain. It’s best friend is the gut and they are truly two peas in a pod, they love connecting to one another and chillin as often as possible. The vagus is responsible for calming the nervous system after a stressful event. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system and it is a SUPER important part of healing. 

It is THE Queen to regulating our parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest system). It has many tricks up its sleeve in order to maintain homeostasis and plays a large role in the health of our immune system by stimulating the production of acetylcholine in order to reduce inflammation. It keeps our gastrointestinal system calm and makes us feel like we are safe. So if our vagal tone is compromised we will have a tendency to live in a stress and fearful mode (sympathetic mode), have digestive issues and systemic inflammation. Becoming aware of our daily thoughts, and stress levels is a gift and can only increase one's optimal health and reduce the chance of chronic disease.

Signs your vagal tone is suboptimal

Low HRV (Heart rate variability)
Poor digestion
Heart palpitation
Insomnia
Constipation
Not being able to relax
Lack of gag reflux

The vagus nerves role in the body

Controls inflammation in the body
It regulates the gastrointestinal system and gut bacteria
Maintains proper gut motility 
It helps regulate heart rate and dilates blood vessels
It maintains your parasympathetic system
It releases acetylcholine which is needed for brain health, immune health, learning and memory.
It helps keep our immune system top notch
Assists in digestive enzyme production

How to improve vagal tone

Here is the best part, you have the power to improve your vagal tone, reduce stress and fear and most of them are FREE.

Aggressive gargling 2-3 times a day
Humming
Singing
Mini trampoline
Breathwork
Laughter
Fasting
Cold showers

A few other holistic tools that can really help bring the power over your thoughts and mind are

  • Becoming aware of how often you ruminate or feel fear about something.  

  • Observe your family and begin to recognize where you have learned these beliefs and behaviours

  • Begin to focus on what is better in your life, it can be as small as having a little more energy one day.

  • Practice gratitude, write down or think of 3 things you are grateful for everyday or as often as you can.

A note on Ruminating thoughts from a recovering ruminator myself.

I was and still am at times quite the ruminator, I felt like if I didn't ruminate and think of all of the terrible possibilities, I was going to be unpleasantly surprised in the future. Speaking of the future, the process of fear and rumination keeps you in the future and does not allow you to be in the present moment.

Rumination and fear feeds and validates the ego, it fills up the negative cup, it keeps you in constant fight or flight mode. So remember we are not our thoughts, we must be brave enough to accept the truth in order to live without fear. What has served me the best in order to reprogram my ruminating mind is to gain trust in myself and realize that with time, I can change my thought process. By accumulating knowledge on things that would make me start to ruminate or fear empowers me and I can then make decisions based on my true intuition instead of fear.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.


Links and Books

Breaking the habit of being yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza

Biology of Belief By Dr. Bruce Lipton

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29593576/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27010234/

https://theholisticpsychologist.com/vagus_nerve_a_path-to-healing/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k5iPxZIAtk

Youtube with Dr. Kharrazian





Sleep, Alzheimer's Prevention and Optimal Health

“Sleep heals everything” -Honey and Vanilla

Did you know that one of the most powerful detox pathways that impacts our health in our body is activated when we sleep? It’s called the glymphatic system and we are about to get real nerdy. I first discovered the glymphatic system while researching Alzheimer’s prevention. I was interested in knowing  what top holistic tools were pertinent to implement for  myself when it comes to  Alzheimer’s prevention. Amongst many things such as cycling through  fasting protocols and eating a whole food diet, sleep was at the top. I soon realized how much sleep is underrated when it comes to maintaining optimal health and keeping our brain sharp. Sleep is the most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body each day.

“Alcohol is one of the most powerful suppressors of REM sleep that we know of and REM sleep recalibrate the emotional circuits in the brain so that we can think logically”
-Matthew Walker

Have you ever had a terrible night sleep and woke up feeling hungover, have brain fog or starving and just wanting to get the first possible refined carbohydrate into you? That feeling is most likely  because you did not get QUALITY sleep- you did not cycle through all of your sleep stages and did not get a chance to activate your glymphatic system properly. According to Siim Land and Dr.Dinicolantonio’s book Immunity fix, sleep governs adaptive immunity (creates immunological memory), vaccine efficacy (so it’s not a good idea to get a vaccine at say, 3am), supports antioxidant defence, physical repair, immune response and how we recover from stress. 

How does this above knowledge pertain to sleep and Alzheimer’s prevention? Well, in many ways but here is one, ok, maybe two. One- If our immune system is governed in part by our sleep cycles then our brains immune (glial cells) are affected as well. Less quality sleep gives room for amyloid plaque and Tau to be created. Two-I f our adaptive immune system which creates immunological memory is not robust enough due to lack of sleep, this can leave room for certain pathogens such as mold and viruses to go undetected therefore leaving room for toxic overload and creating Alzheimer’s.

So for all of you that do not think sleep impacts your immune system or brain function, please reconsider the power of sleep.

Sleep_insta.png
 
glymphatic system

Sleep Cycles

Overnight we go through about four to five- 90 minute sleep cycles and within those cycles there are  2 stages- NREM and REM. These two stages synergistically compete throughout the night and they both have their purpose for keeping our brain sharp.

To put it in simple terms NREM (non rapid eye movement) starts the party off for the evening, within the NREM sleep there are four stages that I won’t get into for this article but fascinating stuff on it’s own. NREM helps consolidate memories by taking newly formed memories and putting them into your long term storage. It is when the glymphatic system (read below) is most active and it is where sleep spindles are most active, which help perform many tasks such as muffling out the outside noise so you won’t wake up. Apparently my sleep spindles are not very strong, I’m a light sleeper.

REM sleep (rapid eye movement) is where you dream, your eyes are rapidly moving, it is when your body is somewhat paralyzed in order to not physically act out your dreams. It is time for integration; interconnecting all of your experiences and putting them together to build a more accurate model. REM sleep regulates our emotional circuit, allowing us to make more intelligent decisions, and be cool headed so to speak.

So you see, quality sleep is sooooo important for brain health. It helps us remember, it keeps us focused, it cleans out toxins from our brain, it helps us stay emotionally stable and really, keeps us sane and functional. There is a reason why sleep deprivation is used to break a human down.

Oh Snap!
Lack of QUALITY sleep+high refined sugar diet=inflammation= atherosclerosis/cardiovascular disease.

Glymphatic System (brain detoxer)

The glymphatic system was discovered back in 2013 by Dr. Nedergaard and her team, it truly is an amazing pathway that our own bodies have created through evolution to clear out waste from our brain. Here’s how it works: while in NREM sleep, it uses pulsating rhythms to activate  our glymphatic system which in turn begins the flow of our  CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) to flush out toxins and other waste products that our hard working neurons create throughout the day.  The waste products it eliminates include many but specifically for this article it eliminates  amyloid plaque and tau; two proteins found in abundance in  many Alzheimer’s patients. The glymphatic system  also helps distribute glucose, lipids, amino acids and growth factors. The most amazing part of this system is that at night, when we fall asleep, our glial cells (immune brain cells) shrink by 60% to allow the CSF to flood our brain and clear out the accumulative waste.

Basically, your brain needs to “poop” eliminate its waste it has accumulated throughout the day, your glymphatic system is what accomplishes this.

Deep sleep (NREM) is critical for preventing Alzheimer’s, it is what consolidates our new memories and as you just read above, it is when the glymphatic system is at full power. According to Dr. Matthew Walker, amyloid plaque tends to accumulate in the frontal lobe of the brain, the same place where NREM sleep happens and not from the memory centre of the brain, the hippocampus. In fact, if you look at a brain with Alzheimer’s, most of the time their hippocampus is free of amyloid plaque. Interesting eh?

Oh Snap!
Lack of sleep= activates sympathetic nervous system (fighter flight)= inflammation=lower killer cell count= lowered immune system= chronic illness such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

 
Screen Shot 2021-05-17 at 1.35.43 PM.png
 

In summary

Routinely sleeping less than 6-7 hrs a night will,
Reduces your immune system's capacity to fight off viral and bacterial infection
Doubles your risk of cancer
Increases your risk of Alzheimer’s and heart disease
Increases cellular waste in your brain
Disrupts blood sugar levels and increases your risk of type 2 diabetes
Increases your hunger hormone leptin

What our brain does when we sleep
It enriches our ability to learn, memorize and make logical decisions and choices
It balances our emotional circuits
It replenishes our immune system
It fine tunes the insulin and blood sugar balance
It helps regulate our appetite helping control body weight
It helps maintain a healthy microbiome within our gut
It opens up our glymphatic system which helps detoxify our brains

So, with all of that said, how can you be sure that you are getting optimal sleep ?

1. Blue blocker glasses- Yes, I know, some of you may think this is ridiculous but the science is out, blue light from screens, lights in your house and phones at night, blocks melatonin production at night. It has shown that the right blue blocker glasses put on 1-3 hours before bed increases your own natural melatonin. I can attest to this, I have had blue blocker glasses for over 3 years now and I am sleepy after an hour of putting them on due to my natural melatonin being produced. Melatonin doesn’t just help you sleep, it is crucial for a robust immune system, helps regulate our circadian rhythm and prevents cellular death. See link below, I am not affiliated with this company, just sharing what I use.

2. Sleep in a cool dark room without any technology around you such as your phone, computer or internet modem.

3. Do not drink alcohol or eat three hours before bed. Many think that a little glass of wine helps them sleep but in actuality it inhibits your body from going into quality NREM sleep

4. Use essential oils like vetiver to help you get sleepy and keep you asleep. I started rubbing one drop of vetiver essential oil on the soles of my feet 30 minutes before bed and OMG, I’m not kidding.

5. Practice TRE- It has been shown to help balance your circadian rhythm therefore help keep your sleep cycle in check. Be aware that longer fasting protocols can disrupt your sleep for the short term.

6. Listen to theta binaural beats before sleep to encourage your brain to calm down for the night. 

7. Get sunlight into your eyes first thing in the morning, this helps reset your circadian rhythm

8. If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, get out of bed, put on your blue blockers adn use a red light headlamp and go read in another room

9. Take 200 to 400 mg magnesium glycinate

Some of these hacks may not work for everyone (because we are biochemically different) and there are so many reasons why people may not be getting a good night's sleep, so I encourage you to try things for at least a week and don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t work. Keep trying. If these simple holistic tools do not do the job, go deeper. Look into your thyroid health with a full panel, not just TSH. Consider your stress levels and get your morning cortisol checked, are your adrenals taxed? Are you dealing with mycotoxins from mold? Do you have sleep apnea? Does your partner snore and keep you awake? Ladies, check your hormones, perimeopause? Menopause?

“Taking pharmaceutical sleeping pills for a long period of time actually increases your chances of getting Alzheimer’s.” Dr. Matthew Walker

A note on Melatonin

Melatonin is created in your gut mostly and released by your pineal gland.Your SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) is your master clock for your circadian rhythm, it repeats it’s daily and nightly signal due to the hormone melatonin. As soon as dusk appears the SCN signals the pineal gland to release melatonin. Melatonin is the darkness messenger, it shouts, “its dark its dark, lets change crew members to night time duties and get busy sleeping.” It is a myth that melatonin generates sleep, instead it is the hormone that instructs the beginning of sleep, that is why blue blocker glasses are so helpful, they increase melatonin. That is also why blue light at night is so harmful as it suppresses melatonin.Throughout your night of sleep, melatonin slowly reduces in concentration and when the sun starts to rise your SCN puts the break on melatonin until later that evening. You see how we are natural solar panels? We are controlled by the light of the sun. We are conductive beings.

I hope this article helped you, please share and spread the word of optimal health, Alzheimer’s prevention and taking control of your own health destiny.

Links
Swanwick Blue blocker Glasses

Vetiver Essential Oil

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Binaural Beats

References
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326664518_The_Glymphatic_System_A_Review

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468867319301609

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23635358/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glymphatic_system

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31959516/



Should I Go Gluten Free?

 
Seedy gluten free bread
 

Let’s get NERDY!! But just before that, let me give you a little history on why I went gluten free years ago. Ever since I can remember  (some would disagree) I always had a little “pudge” or “muffin top” until I stopped consuming gluten. I have always had digestive issues; burping, constipation, feeling really full and in pain on the floor trying to unbutton my pants as fast as possible. I have also suffered from painful periods for over 25 years and had other symptoms that I never correlated to gluten.

Some of my favourite foods were gluten based; Yorkshire pudding, croissants, panini’s, homemade pasta, dining out, Asian food and French pastries. Like most people, I ate gluten almost everyday in some form, knowingly and unknowingly. It’s in everything processed and has hidden names as well, It’s like dairy, it’s in almost everything processed in one form or another.

I became more and more interested in the possibility of going gluten free after learning about how gluten can affect the health of the brain and after dealing with years of painful periods, cysts, bloating and fatigue from endometriosis. I was anti gluten free for a very long time, it was trendy- some argue it still is, and I just didn’t believe that it would benefit my health or others if we were not celiac. I hesitated trying it for many reasons but truthfully a big reason was because I hated the thought of asking what was gluten free at a restaurant and everyone looking at me and rolling their eyes. Now I don’t give two hoots!

When I came across evidence and research papers on the correlation between gluten, leaky gut and inflammation I thought, hmmmmm, by continuing to eat gluten containing foods, I could be increasing my overall inflammation which can lead to a chronic illness such as Alzheimer’s and causing more symptoms of endometriosis.
After all, the top 5 leading chronic diseases in the world today all have to do with some kind of underlying inflammation. This journey I chose to take not only became about relieving the symptoms for endometriosis but for overall optimal health and reducing my risk of chronic disease, specifically Alzheimer’s. Remember, I am all about prevention and I assume you are as well if you are following me. I’m going to do things in my present life (without feeling deprived) that will positively impact my future life and health journey.

Endometriosis has many theories as to why it happens, but the newest science out there from the brilliant Dr.Lara Briden and many others has shown that it’s connected to the health of our immune system, insulin resistance, gut health, nickel allergy and genetics. So the immune part and the gut health part peaked my interest because I know from my education that both of these issues have shown beneficial relief from going gluten free.

About 4 or 5 years ago I decided to take a new path and try going gluten free for three months, I never went back. No shit! Well maybe once a year on my birthday, that’s it. Gluten free products at the time tasted like nothing and had a texture more or less like cardboard but I was determined to try it and quickly realized that for me the benefits were undeniable. My “little pudge” just went away, those painful, full feeling nights where I had to unbutton my pants were no more. The pain and inflammation that came with endometriosis was less, not gone, but A LOT less. Over time, the more I healed my gut by eliminating food intolerances and adding in gut healing supplements and foods, reduced overall sugar consumption, practiced TRE, chose mostly natural gluten free whole food over gluten free processed food, my health got better and better. I then learned how to make gluten free food taste good, have great texture and be healthy. WHAAAAAAT!

So what the heck is gluten and how can it actually cause damage?

Gluten is a highly addictive protein found in many grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt, bulgur and kamut. Gluten is what helps breads rise, it is what helps give that delicious chewy texture to bread, that is why so many gluten free breads back in the day tasted like cardboard- it lacked the soft chewiness of traditional style bread. Some people develop an autoimmune response to gluten such as celiac disease, others can trigger a sensitivity- which is usually caused by the gliadin protein instead of the gluten protein (according to Dr. David Perlmutter). You can also just have an intolerance to it, which I believe most people actually have today due to overconsumption, dirty grains (glyphosate) and leaky gut.

What can happen over time is that our tight junctions that secure our gut from invaders starts to tear from the release of zonulin and that zonulin makes tinny little holes in our gut lining. When our gut lining can no longer repair itself sufficiently we then create the famous “leaky gut”. You may find it interesting to know that along with gluten, gliadin (another protein in gluten containing grains) and glyphosate are the biggest culprits that release zonulin. You may be sensitive to all three or just one of these which can lead to your specific symptoms.

A leaky gut means that we have let our guard down so to speak. A leaky gut is when there is an increased permeability of the small intestine (tears in the gut lining), allowing for bacteria, bacterial fragments and food particles to enter the gut and cause systemic inflammation. Our gut contains over 80% of our immune system by the way, so unhealthy gut = unhealthy immune system. Gluten, gliadin and glyphosate are not the only culprits that promote leaky gut- Stress, sugar, processed food, aspirin, antibiotics, ibuprofen, PPI’s, heartburn medication and much more, can all cause leaky gut.

When we have a leaky gut this allows for systemic inflammation to take over, your immune system thinks it’s under attack and becomes chronically inflamed and stressed. FIY, our gut and brain speak to each other all of the time, the inflammation that happens in the gut is directly felt in the brain. It can affect people in many different ways not just the typical digestive issues that we know. Once you have leaky gut, you are highly susceptible to other food sensitivities and chronic disease.

“It’s important to keep in mind that each one of us are unique in terms of our DNA and phenotype (how our genes express themselves in their environment). Unchecked inflammation in me could result in obesity and heart disease, whereas the same condition in you could translate to an autoimmune disorder” -Dr. David Perlmutter

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If gluten is so bad, why have we eaten it for so long and been fine?

Well, there are many reasons for this. On an evolutionary standpoint, we have only been eating gluten containing foods for the last 10,000 years which is considered relatively new. We do not eat the same kind of gluten containing grains that our ancestors ate- they did not contain glyphosate, they were not cross bread, they contained less overall gluten and they were heirloom strains. The grains we consume today look nothing like what our ancestors ate and while our genetic makeup has not changed much since our ancestors, the food we eat and how it has been modified has. We have so many more insults on our immune system and overall body today than we did back then. The processed food we eat today, the amount of alcohol we consume and toxins we ingest will all have a direct impact on the health of our gut lining and how we can digest many things we consume, including gluten.

Symptoms and conditions that can be connected to eating gluten

Bloating
Constipation
Joint pain
Headaches
Eczema
Psoriasis
Systemic inflammation
Blood sugar imbalances
Fatigue
Autoimmune disorders
Thyroid disorders
Gut issues
Multiple sclerosis
Endometriosis
Neurodegenerative diseases
ADHD
Arthritis

My top benefits for going gluten free

Less overall inflammation
Keeps my immune system strong
Relieves symptoms from endometriosis
Increases my health span
Improves my gut health
Less chance of consuming glyphosate
Reduce the chance of leaky gut
Reduce my chance of getting Alzheimer’s and other chronic disease

Here is the thing, going gluten free gets a bad rep, for good reason if we are talking about the overconsumption of the shitty GF products. The dose makes the poison. Just like other dietary choices such as going vegan, carnivore, keto; these can be done in a healthy and optimal way that will nourish your body for a period of time, or they can be done by over consuming boxed, processed, made in a lab “food” products.

If you make your own gluten free bread, muffins or cookies you can control the sugar and added crap that would normally go into GF processed food.

The dirty side to going gluten free

If you eat too much processed GF food too often you will gain weight just like gluten products
It can be more expensive
It can have more shit in it than a loaf of whole wheat bread, muffins, bagels
Processed GF products will raise your blood sugar and increase your chances of insulin resistance, chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

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Bottom line, going gluten free does not automatically mean HEALTHY. You need to take responsibility, read labels, be aware of how much you are consuming and what you are consuming. If you do continue to eat gluten, eat it less often and please start eating organic sourdough bread, with red fife or spelt flour. These flours contain less gluten and the fermentation process of sourdough may provide benefit . Remember, the dose makes the poison. My suggestion, try going gluten free for 3 months but do it in a healthy way, be aware of how you feel, you may be surprised what little symptoms go away.
In my new book Two Little F Words I have over 25 whole food gluten free recipes that are low in sugar and super satisfying. Bread recipe included in the picture above.

Links and studies that may interest you
https://www.jillcarnahan.com/2013/07/14/zonulin-leaky-gut/
https://www.larabriden.com/endometriosis-and-the-microbiome/
https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2020/01/zonulin-explains-it-all/
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-and-endometriosis-is-there-a-connection/
Gluten Free and endometriosis
Mark Hyman and Gluten
Dr.Will Cole
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16635908/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214347/

ApoE4 Gene and What You Should Know.

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It’s not all bad and it’s not your destiny!

For some people the thought of knowing their ApoE status causes stress and anxiety and they will choose not to know their ApoE status, and that is o.k, if it feels right for you. However, for some people, knowing their ApoE status encourages them to live a more optimal lifestyle and it empowers them to learn what  they can do to express the gene in a positive way. 

What is the ApoE 4 gene?


This ancestral gene sits on chromosome 17 in our genome and is probably THE  most well known gene associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Please note, I said, increased risk, NOT,  YOU WILL GET ALZHEIMER’S IF YOU HAVE THIS GENE. o.k, i’m good, sorry about that. Wink wink!

When it comes to your risk factor for Alzheimer’s, lifestyle choices and the ApoE gene can be associated with an increased risk. When speaking about the ApoE gene and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, it depends on which combination of alleles you have; there are three different alleles- ApoE2, ApoE3 and ApoE4 allele and everyone has two alleles, the combination is what is important to know. According to many experts including Dr. Bredesen, if you have a 3/4 combo (meaning you have one 3 allele and one 4 allele) this increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 30%. If you have  4/4 combo (meaning both alleles are from the ApoE4 gene) this increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 50%. We get one allele from each parent.

Interesting Knowledge bomb


ApoE4 is believed to be the oldest or “original” allele (it’s closest to the apoE variant that nonhuman primates have, suggesting it existed even before the human and chimpanzee lineages split), with apoE2 and apoE3 developing as mutations more recently in human history. APoe 4/4 can be much more common among specific groups—especially hunter-gatherer societies like the Pygmies, Khoi San, Malaysian aborigines, Australian aborigines, Sami, Papuans, the Greenland Inuit, and some Native Americans.

One reason for apoE4’s greater frequency in these populations is that it enhances cholesterol absorption in the intestine and slightly raises blood cholesterol levels, which can be beneficial during times of food scarcity, undernutrition, and other conditions that foraging societies frequently face. 
Not surprisingly, areas with longer-standing agricultural histories, where food supply is stable and apoE4 is less useful, have a lower prevalence of apoE4 (for example: southern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia).   -Paleomom

How does the ApoE 4 gene affect our body?

Synthesized primarily in the liver but also in the brain, the ApoE4 gene is responsible for helping regulate estrogen, CRP levels (inflammatory levels), lipid transport and cholesterol homeostasis (balance). It is a “protective” gene, too much “protection” reduces the chance for new neuron growth and repair mode in the brain. So we want a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The dose makes the poison.

Due to its pro-inflammatory nature; which used to help us survive bacterial infections and so on back in the day, however now, because of the way we currently choose to live our lives, this gene no longer primarily serves us in a positive way. This gene plays an important role in how we transport and metabolize fat and cholesterol and absorb fat soluble vitamins. Another way to say it is, ApoE 4 carriers hyper absorb fat and cholesterol.

Our daily choices to consume high amounts of inflammatory seed/vegetable oils, conventional farmed meats, refined foods, high grain consumption and alcohol consumption, these epigenetic factors, have the ability to express a good gene into a bad one.

ApoE 4 doesn’t just increase your risk of Alzheimer’s, it can also increase systemic inflammation, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease (if insulin resistant),  lewy body, tauopathy (tau tangles), multiple sclerosis, increases AB production (amyloid beta)

So you see above, APoE4 status can affect many different pathways and systems within the body, such as hormones, glucose metabolism and inflammatory pathways. ApoE 4 carriers have a tendency to naturally have higher cholesterol levels due to hyper absorption. Knowing your status will help you tailor your diet accordingly. But guess what? All of the above risks can be reduced or even eliminated by our lifestyle choices. No shit!

When I found out my status, I changed things in order to help express my genes in a more positive way, I felt empowered with the knowledge I learned and the most important information I learned was this. Epigenetics and this is THE MOST important factor to remember from this whole article. We have so much more power than we think when it comes to how we can express our genes and what our health destiny becomes. Dr.Bruce Lipton is the expert when it comes to epigenetics (above the gene) and I am forever grateful to him because now I know my lifestyle (how I choose to think, who I surround myself with and what I choose to eat) makes more of an impact on my risk of getting Alzheimer’s than the Apoe4 gene.

According to Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Apoe 4 carriers are not able to transport DHA through the blood brain barrier into the brain if it is not a phospholipid form. The ApoE4 allele has a big impact when it comes to how we can detox, how we deal with saturated fat, how we absorb DHA (omega 3) and how we heal from brain injuries. Our brain is made up of more than 65% fat  in the form of DHA, so it’s kind of important to get the right form.

Benefits to knowing and having the ApoE 4 gene

1.You can actually fast longer than those without the gene
2.It can make you more aware of your health and priorities
3.From an evolution standpoint, it helped fight infection
4.It is the most ancestral of the alleles, that’s cool
5.Better memory of events in our lives, weird right?
6.Tend to have higher levels of vitamin D

So What Can I Do For Alzheimer’s prevention?

Here is the best part about knowing your ApoE status, there is SO much you can do to express this gene in a positive way. Diet, lifestyle, the way we choose to think, exercise, supplements and social life have the biggest impact on our chances of expressing this gene in a positive way.

Best strategy for APoE 4 Carriers so far? 

  1. Practice TRE daily

  2. Practice longer forms of  fasting if necessary to help with ketosis and metabolic flexibility. Use a professional that is experienced in fasting

  3. Become metabolically flexible by going in and out of ketosis through diet, fasting and exercise

  4. Become insulin sensitive

  5. Reduce stress to reduce chronic cortisol secretion and insulin

  6. Get checked for sleep apnea

  7. Get blood tests done such as CRP (below 1), homocysteine (below 7), fasting insulin (below 62 pmol), fasting glucose (below 5), A1C (below 5.2), cholesterol panel, triglycerides (below 1.12mmol), Homa IR ratio (less than 1.1 in US conversion).

  8. Build muscle mass

  9. Reduce chronic stress

  10. Make sure sleep is a priority, we clean out toxins while we sleep, including amyloid plaque.

  11. Reduce or eliminate alcohol, ApoE4 carriers do not metabolize alcohol well


    *According to the leading Functional Medicine experts, they want to see your fasting insulin below 62 pmol (CAD) or  9 mIU/ml (US). YES, 62 pmol or 9 mIU/ml, in order to be optimal and decrease your chance of chronic illness.


What stops you from being insulin sensitive?

1.Stress
2.High cortisol
3.Excess estrogen
4.Lack of exercise
5.Lack of muscle mass
6.Diet high in refined carbohydrates
7.Insulin resistance

Dietary needs for ApoE4 Carriers

1.Reduce NOT eliminate, the consumption of saturated fat, make olive oil your go to oil
2.Eat a big ass salad a day, consume a large amount of vegetables.
3.Remove or drastically eliminate refined foods such as bread, rice, corn, flavoured yogurt,...
4.Eliminate refined sugar and bad seed oil consumption such as mayonnaise, store bought salad dressings…
5.Consume small portions of  pasture raised protein and some grass fed, grass finished fed beef (once a week or so for the beef)
6.Eat good quality fats such as avocado’s, small amounts of raw soaked nuts and seeds, organic olives, quality wild salmon or anchovies.
7.Eat pasture raised eggs, choline in runny yolks, not scrambled, is super important for our brain.
8.Consume minimal grains, go gluten free to reduce intestinal permeability (leaky gut)

* Since our liver makes most of our cholesterol- yes you heard that right, it doesn’t matter if you are an ApoE4 carrier or not, our liver makes most of our cholesterol and dietary cholesterol makes up a small amount of our overall cholesterol. I would assume (this is my assumption) that focusing on liver health and keeping our body as toxic free as possible would help the liver manage our cholesterol in a much efficient way.

Testing Your ApoE 4 Status

There are many companies that can test your Apoe4 status, some have to be interpreted by a third party and some do not. Ben Greenfield and Dave Apsrey have recommended The DNA Company I like this one because it does not have to be interpreted and they give you supplemental recommendations (no need to buy into the supplements though). A colleague of mine also recommends Love My Health PRO from  DNA Labs Canada that does not need to be interpreted either.

23and me and Strategene from Dr.Ben Lynch are options as well but I do not know if the results need to be interpreted by a third party.


Research, resources  and Links

ApoE4 Form- Great community for ApoE4 carriers

https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-019-1299-4

https://www.thepaleomom.com/genes-know-apoe/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2317162/






Perimenopause and the big E

 
Me and perimenopause
 

Perimenopause and Estrogen Dominance


O.K before all of my menopausal optimal health seekers skip this article altogether, please consider reading it for your daughters, daughter in-laws, friends and sisters that are maybe in this stage of their lives. Share it with them and hopefully they will get some kind of relief and empowerment from this article.

This topic is dear to me, I am 43 years old and I have been  feeling the symptoms of perimenopause for the last two years now. I  have also suffered from high estrogen levels for the better part of my life due to endometriosis. Sleepless nights, at one point a month's worth of hot flashes/flushes, lack of periods or too many periods, the list goes on folks and yes, it happens to me too.

What I want to achieve from this article is reassurance, reassurance and comfort that there is hope and natural remedies to ease the symptoms of perimenopause, specifically when it comes to estrogen dominance related symptoms.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about why symptoms start to occur in the beginning stages of perimenopause is that they are sometimes due to HIGH estrogen levels and not low estrogen levels in relation to progesterone like we have been led to believe. For the purpose of this article and our attention span, I will focus on some pretty shitty symptoms related to estrogen dominance.  You may be surprised to know that estrogen dominance can start at about 35 years of age but most symptoms  start showing up  in our early 40’s. What happens in our early 40’s is that progesterone is the first hormone that  starts to decrease. It’s like, hmmm, not gonna get pregnant? O.K imma start to shut down. Progesterone please begin.

This lack of progesterone starts leaving room for estrogen to dominate our cycle. Estrogen dominance means that your estrogen levels increase relative to your progesterone levels. So your estrogen levels either rise and your progesterone stays the same or your estrogen stays the same and your progesterone drops. There are many reasons for this to happen; endometriosis, SIBO, chronic stress, adrenal fatigue, Perimenopause, Environmental toxins, Mold toxicity, Gut issues, Liver toxicity, Detox issues, Thyroid issues are just some of the reasons why estrogen can go crazy

There are other hormones that also play an important role when trying to balance symptoms from perimenopause and the two queen bee hormones that are at the top of the pyramid are insulin and cortisol. You didn’t think I was going to say that right?

This is the hierarchy of our hormones when it pertains to our cycle.

Insulin + cortisol then goes to Pregnenolone + DHEA then goes to Progesterone +estrogen + testosterone.

So if you don’t look at the two queen bee hormones; insulin and cortisol, you will only get so far in your healing journey.

It is never just one thing: optimal health seekers, everything is connected so if one test shows up in range  and you are still experiencing symptoms then keep on searching until you get to YOUR imbalance. This is what being an optimal health seeker is all about, taking responsibility for your health and never giving up. 

Why is it so important to get to the root of  high estrogen?

Well, personally, my biggest reasons to find more balance through these years of perimenopause  is to prevent Alzheimer’s, reduce symptoms from endometriosis, to prevent certain cancers such as breast cancer  and to reduce perimenopause symptoms so that I can live happily ever after with my husband (wink wink) 

Women have a much higher chance of getting Alzheimer’s in our menopausal years partly due to the hormonal imbalance that happens in our perimenopause and then menopause years. Research on women's health and women’s brains is showing that it is critical to work on hormonal health in our perimenopause years so that the transition to menopause can be much smoother and in turn healthier.

How many times have you shared with your doctor that you are suffering from some or all of the below symptoms and they just recommend to either go on the pill, have a hysterectomy, ablation surgery or start taking antidepressants?

This is not to say that any of the above mentioned therapies are not worth it and aren’t helpful but they do all come with drawbacks on their own and I do believe that trying to get to the root and understand WHY can be very helpful and go a long way for many women. I am not the first to say this, all of the leading women scientists and doctors in Functional Medicine are saying the same thing.

Symptoms of high estrogen (estrogen dominance)

Low libido
Migraines (especially around your period)
Painful periods
Fatigue
Irregular cycles
Heavy periods
Insomnia
Endometriosis
PMS
Depression
Anxiety
Constipation
Brain fog
Tender breast
Bloating
Just can’t handle stress like before
Fibrocystic breasts

Other symptoms and or connections related to  high estrogen include mast cell activation, high cortisol, low cortisol, insulin resistance, autoimmune disorders, thyroid issues, histamine issues and more. 

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What can you do now!


1. Track your 5th vital sign (your cycle) to know if you are ovulating

Knowing when you ovulate is #1 when you are trying to figure out what's up with your cycle. First, it will tell you if you are making progesterone and if you are having a proper  length luteal phase. Note, if you are on birth control, you do not ovulate. The importance of ovulation.

2. Eat more whole foods- Eating more whole foods that contain fiber, prebiotic and sulfur can help feed your gut microbiome and will  help the liver break down toxins and excess estrogen. Broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, chia pudding, cauliflower, green leafy vegetables, all of these are amazing for the health of our liver and gut.

3. Work on your gut health- Let me say this to start- if you do not have a healthy amount of stomach acid, you will not be able to break down and absorb the nutrients from supplements or whole food. O.K, I said it. Just as a side note- Have anemia? It may be from low stomach acid and malabsorption.

Ever heard of estrobolome? Estrobolome is the estrogen part of your guts microbiome that is broken down by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. So you see, your gut has a specific bacteria and enzyme that is responsible for getting rid of excess estrogen that was packaged up for you in the liver.  

Once the liver has broken down estrogen and daily toxic substances, those estrogen metabolites and toxins get packaged up and sent to the gut, then get broken down further by estrobolome and then you poop em out. If you don’t poop daily, your estrogen will back up too. Your gut has everything to do with removing excess estrogen. Nerdy enough for you yet?

Supplements for gut health in relation to estrogen- Cultured coconut probiotics, BioGai probiotic drops ( I get this at Costco), calcium D-glucarate (if you have high beta-glucuronidase), digestive enzymes, raw apple cider vinegar, bone broth. Oh, and, reduce stress, more on that later...

4. Take care of your liver health- Our liver is known to be most active between 11pm-2am, that is when it does most of its detoxing and that is why sleep is soooo fundamental to hormone health. But, the liver isn’t just working between those hours, it’s always doing something and that is why we must do our job to remove and eliminate as many lifestyle burdens as we can to alleviate the livers to do list. We can do this by  reducing alcohol consumption (I know, i’m sorry but it’s your liver, not me saying this), reducing refined carbs, conventional meat, conventional dairy, non-organic eggs and removing daily toxic home products that tax our liver health.
Our liver is what metabolizes and breaks down estrogen along with 500 other jobs it needs to do. So if our liver is not healthy or is overburdened with breaking down 2 glasses of wine a day, environmental toxins, processed foods, fructose or mold for example, our liver will not be able to eliminate that excess estrogen that your body is making.

Nutrients for the liver- glutathione, Methyl folate, B6+B12, sulforaphane, vitamin C, milk thistle, quercetin, NAC
 
Supplements that help with or remove excess estrogen- DIM, bio-identical progesterone, sulforaphane, vitex, calcium D-glucarate.
*Please ask your doctor and get tested before you start taking supplements to remove estrogen.

5. Stress Reduction- I just can’t seem to take on what I used to anymore, I was a proud and confident multitasker back in the day. I could do 5 things at one time and finish the day by saying- great job Christina, you have accomplished so much today! This does not serve me any longer and I must surrender and accept that what I do in a day does not define me as a person or my accomplishments. We are told to do, do, do. rest is for the weak, I completely disagree, this methodology slowly kills us, don’t eat the candy.

Did you know that chronic stress raises cortisol and cortisol destroys the mucus layer of our gut and our tight junctions within our gut? 
Did you know that stress increases insulin levels that can lead to weight gain, blood sugar imbalance and an increase in triglycerides? 
Did you know that  high cortisol increases estrogen levels and steals progesterone? 
Did you know that stress isn’t just created from a crazy busy lifestyle? It can be created from chronic inflammation, lack of quality sleep, chronic infection, mold toxicity and heavy metal toxicity. I think that sums it up, stress can cause many imbalances and we MUST make this a priority.

Supplements and lifestyle choices for stress reduction and adrenal support- Ashwagandha, rhodiola, lavender, ginseng, quality sleep, being kind to oneself, reducing your workload, just say NO, deep breathing, not going hard at the gym, acupuncture, walking in the forest.

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6. Testing

For some women just looking at the above symptoms could tell you that you have a pretty good chance of having higher than normal estrogen levels and that you could simply start by working on the body organs and tools mentioned above . For some, like me, you need to dive deeper, besides the stool testing (which I will be getting done soon) these are the tests I have done myself.

Dutch Complete test (gold standard urine test)

This test can be ordered by your functional medicine practitioner, nurse practitioner or naturopathic doctor. This test is not only measures typical sex hormones but also cortisol/cortisone levels, types of estrogens, hormone metabolites and detox pathways. Super informative.

Doctors Data Stool Sample OR Diagnostic Solutions Lab- These tests can show your levels of beta glucuronidase, if you have parasites, overgrowth of bacteria and many other interesting things about your gut health.

Blood tests- Full panel thryroid, progesterone, estradiol, LH, FSH, DHEA, testosterone, fasting insulin (you want this below 30), fasting glucose (you want this below 5.2) 

*It’s very important to get these blood tests done at the right time within your cycle. Most practitioners will say to get progesterone and estrogen checked  on  day 19-21 of your cycle but this is going on the assumption that you ovulated on day 14 of your cycle. According to the amazing Nicole jardim the best time to test progesterone levels is 5-7 days after you have ovulated. That goes for estrogen as well if estrogen dominance is a possibility, low estrogen symptoms should be checked at other times in your cycle. You can also test your estrogen, FSH and LH days 3-5 in your cycle.

* Please note, my ranges for blood tests are based on optimal levels within the functional medicine guidelines, these will be very different from conventional ranges.

OH SNAP!

Did you know that if you don’t ovulate you don’t make progesterone? Say Whaaaaaat!

I hope this information encourages you to look a little deeper, don’t ignore your symptoms; symptoms are a gift, they tell us shit ain’t right. For more information I highly recommend looking into the resources and links below.


Links, books and Sources

Period Fix by Nicole Jardim

Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gotfried

Estrogen Storm by Doctor Jerilyn Prior

Dr. Carrie Jones 

https://nicolejardim.com/when-to-test-progesterone-levels/

https://reliefsummit.com/

https://ndnr.com/endocrinology/estrogen-dominance-when-an-unhealthy-gut-estrobolome-is-to-blame/

https://ndnr.com/endocrinology/estrogen-dominance-when-an-unhealthy-gut-estrobolome-is-to-blame/








Why I Fast Longer Than I Feast Daily

TRE (time restricted eating) has become very popular in the last 6-7 years and let me tell you, it is not a trend. This holistic tool is a gift to anyone that is willing to make it part of their lifestyle.

I started TRE many years ago when I was researching how to help my mom with Alzheimer’s and how to prevent Alzheimer’s for myself. Amongst many holistic tools recommended by leading doctors and scientists in the Functional Medicine world- TRE was one of the most powerful FREE tools I could implement. It was a little difficult to get started because I, like most people, was a “sugar burner”. I needed to eat every two to three hours in order to feel satiated and feel well. 

Since I have reduced my refined carbohydrate intake and eat mostly whole foods, good sources of fat and protein and practice TRE daily, I am now metabolically flexible which means I can switch from burning glucose to ketones much quicker. This enables me to go without food for much longer, it increases overall health span and increases autophagy- which is our bodies natural way of cleaning out senescent cells and recycling used parts. Yoshinori Oshumi won the Nobel prize in 2016 for discovering the mechanism of autophagy.

 In my book Two little F Words- Feasting and Fasting Your Way To Optimal Health it explains in detail how to start implementing TRE into your lifestyle. For this post I will keep it very simple and give you the bullet points as to why TRE is so good for your overall health and what body systems and biomarkers can be affected in a positive way. 

TRE is actually a type of hormetic stress, this is a good kind of stress because it is for short periods of time and it helps build resilience. But, with that said, if you are already under lots of stress, have adrenal fatigue or a chronic infection, you may want to consider starting with a gentle time period until you balance any of those issues. Just doing 12/12 is great.

TRE (Time Restricted Eating) helps with the following: Please note that I have not read any specific papers on endometriosis and TRE but from my experience with stage 4 endo it has helped reduce my overall  inflammation immensely. 

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Supports immune health (longer fasts are different)
Balances circadian rhythm
Reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s 
Helps in weight loss
Improves blood sugar balance
Improves insulin sensitivity
Improves type 2 diabetes
Improves overall inflammation
Reduces inflammation from endometriosis
Improves energy
Lowers oxidative stress
Supports cardiovascular health
Reduces triglyceride count
Balances cholesterol 
Promotes autophagy- autophagy helps clean out the accumulation of senescent cells and improves our overall health. Think of autophagy as our natural in house garbage removal and recycling depot.

Please remember that when you do FEAST, eat nutrient dense foods that satiate you and keep you feeling energetic. Woman need to fast a little differently than men do, Dr.Mindy Pelz is a great resource for women and fasting. This article on How to use Fasting to Support Progesterone is a MUST know for any woman wanting to add fasting to their lifestyle. We must fast according to our cycle ladies and sometimes we shouldn’t fast too long throughout the day.

I am always changing my fasting times up, I can go months fasting 16/8 then switch to 12/12 then 14/10. It really depends on many things such as what you are going through at that time, what part of your menstrual cycle are you in, how much stress are you under, what season it is, your sleep habits and so on. We are cyclic beings, we like diversity and this is how we evolved.

Links and research
The Immunity Fix
Daily Fasting improves health i mice study
Cardiovascular Health and TRE
10 Hour TRE improves metabolic Disease